Approximately 1,500 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland remain without power following the damage inflicted by Storm Ashley, which struck the region on Sunday.
Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) has reported that it has restored power to over 10,000 customers impacted by the blackout. However, the storm’s effects were felt in more ways than one, particularly at Belfast City Airport, where passengers were left stranded on a plane for several hours after landing.
Due to high winds, the airport was unable to deploy steps for disembarking passengers, forcing planes to line up on the landbridge until conditions improved. Tracy Godfrey from Comber recounted her experience to BBC News NI, stating, “We were able to fly from Alicante to Belfast in the storm and land safely, but we were unable to disembark the plane.”
Belfast City Airport emphasized via social media that the safety of both passengers and staff remained its top priority throughout the incident. Godfrey noted that while the crew kept passengers updated, they were stuck in the fourth position out of five planes awaiting disembarkation.
Eamonn O’Sullivan, another passenger on the flight from Alicante to Belfast, described the landing as “very, very difficult” due to significant turbulence. After touching down, passengers remained on the runway for nearly three hours.
Speaking to BBC News NI after observing the delayed plane, O’Sullivan expressed his disbelief that the flight had taken off in the first place. “The wind direction was forecast well, and if the plane was going to be on the runway for nearly three hours, it shouldn’t have taken off,” he stated.
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